Cylinder lock



my 3 3943 y w. E. HAMILTON I 224.475

CYLINDER LOCK Filed lApr-i1 30, 1940 by line 6 5 onFigure 5.

Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED; soraresy LPATENT oFFicE ovLINDEaLooK William E. Hamilton, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Dudley Lock Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of .Illinois Application April 30, 1940Seria`l No. r332,578

8 Claims.

cylindercan rotate when the tumblers are withdrawn within it and out of engagement with such grooves or notches. The proper key for a particular lock of this type operates -to so withdraw the tumblers, usually in opposition to springs which urge them into engagement with the casing grooves or notches. The tumblers may be'formed with notches or cut-away portions sufcient to accommodate-the springs in the same channels in which the tumblers slide; butin that case special abutment means must be providedsition with a relatively simple operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. of various features yand elements in combination, as herein shown and described and as indicated by the claims. n

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of` a prongedp.

stamped member providing spring abutments in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a face view of the same.

Figure 3 is an ,end elevation of the member.

The invention consists Figure 4 is an inside face View of one-half .ofiifv a lock cylinder with a portion of the tumblers and springs assembled therein and with the' pronged stop member of this invention in place.

Figure 5 is an outside elevational view ofthe cylinder section showing the means'v of securing the pronged stop device `in place. c

Figure-6 is a transverse'section of an assembled cylinder lock employing-this invention, section being taken Asubstantially yatthe Referring rs't to Figure 6, it maybe understood thatv the type of lock to which'this invention is applied includes an outer casing I which may vbe cylindrical in `form and Awithin whichj there is rotatably'mounted a lock cylinder comprising two Yhalves 2, 2 usually vmade from blocks of solid metal, such as brass, with channels 3 milled therein to accommodate slidable tumbler members 4. In the form shown the lock includes planedndicatedv center Yplates 5, 5 which are secured between the two halves 2, 2 of the cylinder, and against which the tumblers 4 slide in their channels 3. As shown in Figure 6, one of the tumblers 4 projects into a groove B of the casing I, and the other tumbler projects into a similar groove 1 for locking the cylinder against rotation. But insertion of the proper key between the center plates 5, 5 serves to withdraw the tumblers from the Vgrooves 6 and 1, so that they are contained wholly within the dimensions of the cylinder, thus permitting the latter to be rotated for operating the lock. Each of the tumblers 4 is provided with a spring 8 which is accommodated in a cut-out portion 9 formed in the rear edge of the tumblerthat is, the edge away from the key slot. The bottom I0 of each of the channels 3 is `straight from end to end of the channel, so that portions of the tumbler slide against the straight bottom wall of the channel.

The cylinder section 2 is drilledor otherwise formed with openings II, each extending outwardlyfrom the bottom Il) of one of the channels 3 to the outer surface of the cylinder, and each of these openings is occupied by a member which projects into the channel 3 to serve as an abutment for thespring 9. Instead of employing individual abutment members, such as pins, driven into the openings II, I form'these members as prongs 4I2 of a unitary structure 'which includes a back plate I3, said plate being of approximately the same length as the cylinder section 2, and

-having the prongs I2 bent to extend at right angles from it, as seen in Figure l. These prongs are spaced from each other so as to register simultaneously with all the openings II in one of the cylinder halves 2 when the plate is applied to the outer surface of the cylinder and pressed inwardly. Preferably, the prongs I2 are tapered so that some force must be employed to press them home through the openings II, and in this final position the prongs project into the several guide channels 3 in which the tumblers 4 are slidably carried. The outer or curved face of each cylinder half 2 is formed with a shallow channel I4 of substantially the same width as the back plate I3 and of a depth just sufcient to accommodate its thickness, Thus, when the unit comprising the `back plate I3 and prongs I2 has been forced into the cylinder 2 until the back plate vlies `flatly against the bottom of the channel I4, and the prongs I2 project into the channels 3, it is a simple matter to secure the unit in this position by slightly upsetting the back plate I3 so as to Widen it suiciently t o make it fit tightly between the side walls of the channel I4. This operation can be performed by means of any tool of tapered formation, such as a center punch or cold chisel, and is commonly known as staking Imprints of such a tool of the character of a cold chisel are shown at I in Figure 5, from which it will be readily recognized that this treatment will spread the plate I3 suiiiciently to make it iit tightly and permanently in the channel I 4, particularly since the individual prongs I2, being of tapered formation, are also tightly wedged in the respective openings II in the cylinder section 2.

When each of the cylinder halves 2, 2 has been provided with one of these unitary prong members, it is then ready for assembly of the springs 9 and tumblers 4 in their proper arrangement in the channels 3, after which the two cylinder halves 2, 2 may be secured together with the center plates 5, 5 in position as located by bosses I6 projecting from the fiat faces of the sections 2, 2.

Thus it will be seen that the employment of the unitary member comprising a back plate I3 and prongs I2 will greatly facilitate the assembly of the lock, in addition to saving a considerable amount of time heretofore employed in measuring and cutting and setting individual stop pins for the several springs 8. If the openings I I in the cylindrical body portion 2 be made round in cross-section, as shown, and the prongs I2 be of rectangular cross-section, as shown, it willnot require any great force to drive the wedge-shaped prongs into these holes, but their edges will be sufiiciently deformed in this operationto hold them tightly in place, independently of the tightening of the back plate I3 between the walls of the channel I4. lVhile there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest tothose skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far 'as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a lock cylinder having a plurality of channels for the tumblers and their individual springs, with a transversely disposed opening extending from the bottom of each channel to the outer surface of the cylinder, and a unitary member comprising a back plate and a plurality of prongs projectingl transversely from it in position to fit into the respective openings at one side of the cylinder, said prongs being dimensioned to protrude into the channels to serve as stops for the tumbler springs.

2. In combination, a lock cylinder having a plurality of channels for the tumblers and their individual springs, with a transversely disposed opening extending from the bottom of each channel to the outer surface of the cylinder, and a channel to the outer surface of the cylinder, and

a unitary member comprising a back plate with a plurality of tapered prongs projecting transversely from it in position to register with the respective openings at one side of the cylinder, the portions of said prongs adjacent the back plate being slightly wider than the openings, whereby they are wedged tightly therein when the back plate is forced against the cylinder, said prongs being dimensioned to protrude into the channels to serve as stops for the tumbler springs.

4. In combination, a lock body having a plurality of guideways for the tumblers and their individual springs, with a transversely disposed hole intersecting each guideway and extending to the outer surface of said body, and a unitary member comprising a back plate with a plurality of prongs projecting transversely from it in position to register with the respective holes at one side of the body, said holes being cylindrical in form and said prongs being of rectangular cross-section dimensioned to be forced into the holes and to protrude into the guideways to serve as stops for the tumbler springs.

5. In the combination defined in claim 4, said prongs being tapered converging outwardly from the back plate whereby their edges are adapted to be deformed when the prongs are wedged into the holes by forcing the back plate against the body member of the lock.

6. In combination, a lock cylinder having a plurality of guideways for the tumblers vand their individual springs, with a transversely disposed opening extending from each guideway to the outer surface of the cylinder, and a unitary member comprising a back plate and a plurality of prongs projecting transversely from it in position to fit into the respective openings at one side of the cylinder, said cylinder having a channel in its outer surface formed to accommodate the back plate and the prongs being dimensioned to protrude into the guideways to serve as stops for the tumbler springs when the back plate is disposed in said channeLthe material of the back plate being upset to fit the plate tightly between the side walls ofsaid channel.

'7. In combination, a lock body member having a plurality of guideways for the lock tumblers and their individual springs, with a transversely disposed opening intersecting each guideway and extending tothe outer surface of said body member, and a unitary ,member comprising a back plate with a plurality of prongs projecting transversely from it in positionto nt into the respective openings at oneside of the body member, said prongs being dimensionedto protrude into the guideways to serve as stops for the tumbler springs. l

8. A unitary part to provide stops for a lock body having a plurality Vof guideways for the lock tumblers with transversely disposed holes intersecting the respectiveguideways and extending to the outer surface of such body member, said part comprisinga back plate with a plurality of tapered prongs extending from two opposite edges of the plate at spaced intervals and in staggered relation to each other, said prongs being substantially perpendicular to the plate and parallel vto each other and being tapered converging outwardly from the back plate, whereby their edges are adapted to be deformed when the prongs are wedged into the holes by forcing the back plate toward the outer surface of the body member.

WILLIAM E. HAMILTON. 

